Afghan Poppies Bloom

After three years of ignoring poppy cultivation and heroin production, the United States has suddenly changed course. In mid-November Washington pledged $780 million toward Afghanistanâ??s war on drugs. If a rigorous campaign against poppy actually materializes, it could radically destabilize the relative calm that now obtains in much of Afghanistan........ http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/headline.php?id=827



Liberatedâ?� Afghanistan has become again the worldâ??s top heroin producer, supplying an estimated 90 percent of the global market, according to the United Nations, which monitors world production via satellite. Opium cultivation has in fact skyrocketed since the fall of the puritanical Taliban, which had effectively if briefly suppressed the trade. Growers have repeatedly opened fire on government workers sent to eradicate their fields. Any effort by President Karzai to challenge the opium economy could antagonize the warlords and plunge the country back into civil war, making Bushâ??s victory in this ravaged land a Pyrrhic one. America will be dealing with the legacy of Afghanistanâ??s Dark Alliance for years to come. It is sad that Gary Webbâ??s passing has prompted more dismissive condescension than serious grappling.............. http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/headline.php?id=828



peace

Let afghanistan grow its damn poppies.

All of their economic problems could be solved if they were just allowed to make hash and paid fair market value for it. Afghan hash is the best in the world, people round these parts would glady pay 20 bucks a gram for it. Too bad its only worth a few 100 a pound over there. People get rich of it, too bad its not the afghans

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Herbaholic00

Any effort by President Karzai to challenge the opium economy could antagonize the warlords and plunge the country back into civil war, making Bushâ??s victory in this ravaged land a Pyrrhic one.

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Just wanted to comment on Pyrrhic victory. It's completey misused here. It actually means a victory where you have tremendous casualties. It has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Afghanistan.

It comes from a war the ancient Romans fought aginst a king named Pyrrhus from Epirus (northern Greece). The Romans won, but they lost so many soldiers that it almost wasn't worth with, it was a Pyrrhis victory. The quote in the article means nothing.